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COMPUTER EVOLUTION

﻿Explain the evolution of computer describing the technologies used in different generations. The evolution of computers started way back in the late 1930s. Binary arithmetic is at the core of the computers of all times. History of computers dates back to the invention of a mechanical adding machine in 1642. Abacus, an early computing tool, invention of logarithm by John Napier and the invention of slide rules by William Oughtred were significant events in the evolution of computers.

Evolution of computer technology can be divided into five generations. First generation computer consisted of vacuum tubes and they were used from 1943-1958. ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator) computer is an example of first generation computer. Second generation (1959-1965) computer consisted of transistors i.e. vacuum tubes were replaced by transistors. Thus the size of the computer got reduced considerably. Third generation (1966-1973) computer consisted of integrated circuits (IC) i.e. many transistors in single silicon chip. A single IC has many transistors, registers and capacitors built on a single thin slice of silicon. With the invention of microprocessor (1971), fourth generation of computer evolution started and present day computers are also categorized in the fourth generation. The fifth generation computers are under development. They are going to be based on principles of artificial intelligence and natural language recognition. Developers are aiming at computers capable of organizing themselves. The evolution of computer continues. Generation

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...de Davao University
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CPE 420:
Computer Systems Architecture
[Evolution of Computers – From 1st Generation to Present]
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Engr. Eleonor Palconit
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Jhunorjim C. Zandueta
The evolution of computers is considered one of the most rapid technological development in the history of human innovation. Within just 50 years, computers had evolved from bulky military hardware that computed ballistic trajectory to compact personal devices that aids in our day-to-day routine.
This development stretched within five generations. Each generation follows a common thread in computer design and functionality – decreased size and increased speed. The evolution of computers is greatly influenced by the innovations and development in field of electronics. New technology in the field of electronics are assimilated and adopted in the design and development of computers. Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices.
1st Generation
General Characteristics
The first generation of computers dated from the late...

...EVOUTION OF COMPUTERS
The evolution of electronic computers over a period of time can be traced effectively dividing this period into various generations. Each generation is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operated. These helped to develop smaller, cheaper, powerful, efficient and reliable devices. Today, life has become indispensable without a computer. You find computerization in almost every sphere and industry. Computerevolution has been a fascinating process as we find out here.
The generation of computers may be broadly classified into 5 stages :
1. First Generation ( 1940 – 1956 )
2. Second Generation ( 1956 – 1963 )
3. Third Generation ( 1964 – 1971 )
4. Fourth generation ( 1971 – Present )
5. Fifth Generation ( present and Beyond )
FIRST GENERATION ( 1940 – 1956 )
World War gave rise to numerous developments and started off the computer age. Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was produced by a partnership between University of Pennsylvannia and the US government. It consisted of 18,000 vacuum tubes and 7000 resistors. It was developed by John Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly and was a general purpose computer. "Von Neumann designed the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC) in 1945...

...The Evolution Of The Computer
Introduction
The evolution of electronic computers over a period of time can be traced effectively dividing this period into various generations. Each generation is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operated. These helped to develop smaller, cheaper, powerful, efficient and reliable devices. Today, life has become indispensable without a computer. You find computerization in almost every sphere and industry. Computerevolution has been a fascinating process as we find out here. The generation of computers may be broadly classified into 5 stages.
First Generation (1940 – 1956)
The first generation of computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory. These computers were extremely large, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate due to the great amount of electricity it required. Also, the computers generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions. These computers relied on machine language to perform operations. Machine language is the lowest-level programming language understood by computers and with this program the computers could only solve one problem at a time. An example of a first-generation...

...﻿Assignment # 01
History Of Computers
Introduction To Computer
Submitted by
Irrum Fatima
2013-B.env-029
2nd Semester
Environmental Sciences
Submitted to
Madiha Wahid
Department of Environmental Sciences
FJWU – Rawalpindi
ComputersComputers are the
Electronic Device
Have Storing Capabilities
Have Processing Capabilities
Give outputs against inputs
Give instructions to carry out operations and then store in memories
Computers made our lives easy and reliable. Now a day, computer becomes necessary for us to survive in this modern globe
Advantages
Disadvantages
fast communication
health problems
reliability
security problems
consistency
violation of privacy
storage
impact on labor force
highly accurate
impact on environment
History of computersComputers were invented because “necessity is the mother of invention”. Man always searched for a fast calculating device. It took long time to invent the digital computers.
A brief history behind the invention of computer is as follows:
Abacus:
It was a wooden rack had horizontal wires with beads strung on them
Abacus was the first computing device
It was developed 5000 years ago
It was used to perform simple addition and subtraction
John Napier’s Bone:
He was a Scottish mathematician. He created logarithm tables to carry out calculations.
He also created a device called Napier’s...

...A Short History of Computers
One of the earliest machines designed to assist people in calculations was the abacus which is still being used some 5000 years after its invention.
In 1642 Blaise Pascal (a famous French mathematician) invented an adding machine based on mechanical gears in which numbers were represented by the cogs on the wheels.
Englishman, Charles Babbage, invented in the 1830's a "Difference Engine" made out of brass and pewter rods and gears, and also designed a further device which he called an "Analytical Engine". His design contained the five key characteristics of modern computers:-
1. An input device
2. Storage for numbers waiting to be processed
3. A processor or number calculator
4. A unit to control the task and the sequence of its calculations
5. An output device
Augusta Ada Byron (later Countess of Lovelace) was an associate of Babbage who has become known as the first computer programmer.
An American, Herman Hollerith, developed (around 1890) the first electrically driven device. It utilized punched cards and metal rods which passed through the holes to close an electrical circuit and thus cause a counter to advance. This machine was able to complete the calculation of the 1890 U.S. census in 6 weeks compared with 7 1/2 years for the 1880 census which was manually counted.
In 1936 Howard Aiken of Harvard University convinced Thomas Watson of IBM to invest $1 million in the development of an...

...History of Computer Readings: Knowledge Check, Answers
Jagneet Taneja BTT1O0-A (Rm: 233)
1. What was the first non-electronic computer? Describe its function.
The “Abacus” was the first non-electric computer. The Abacus, also called a counting frame, is a rack of sliding beads and/or pebbles. It is used for performing arithmetic processes. It allowed the users to compute numbers by adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. This way allows this computer to use no electricity at all. This computer was developed approximately 5000 years ago. The Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Indians, Japanese, Koreans, Native Americans, and Russians have their own versions of the Abacus (different material was used, better suited to their own environments)
2. What were the major innovations of first-generation computers over the mechanical era?
The major innovations of the first-generation computer includes the use of electronic switches, with the help of vacuum tubes they were able maker these electronic switches open on close approximately 1000 times faster than mechanical switches. The inputs for these first-generation computers were primarily by the use of “punch cards”. Information was stored on magnetic tape made of a thin magnetizable coating on a very long and narrow strip of plastic tape. The memory of these computers...

...
Throughout the last 25 years, computers have evolved from being low speed simple machines to high speed behemoths while still remaining affordable. This quantum leap in their performance was made possible by integration of new technology, some of which was made possible through the use of computers themselves. The computers have evolved considerably from being basic set of components made up of Integrated Circuits (ICs) to have a much complex architecture involving microprocessors with millions of mini components on them. The architecture of computer has also evolved with extensive use of new techniques such as pipelining and caching, each of which has evolved itself. The evolution of the performance of computer systems has been supported by integration of these technologies.
Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC)
Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC)is a processor design strategy that uses a much simplified instructions set than traditional Complex Instruction Set Computers (CISC) .The philosophy behind using RISC was that CISC architecture was not as fast and flexible to growth as RISC.
The RISC architecture was shown to be more flexible and faster on several occasions when performing the same operations.
The RISC processors of 1980s were very simple from the ones available currently available in the market. These...

...How many inventions in your lifetime can you think of that have changed everything in our society today? Computers have taken over today's society. From everyday tasks to moving satellites in space, PCs have revolutionized almost everything in our society. Computers weren't always this complicated though, and were around a long time before anyone even knew what the word "computer" meant.
The Abacus was the first known machine developed to help perform mathematical equations. From what researchers have discovered it was invented around 500 to 600 BC in an area around China or Egypt. This early tool was used to perform addition and subtraction and can still be found used in some of today's Middle Eastern cultures. In 650 AD the Hindus invented a written symbol for zero. Before this no true written calculations could be made, making this one of the most essential inventions to help computers. In 830 AD the first mathematics textbook was invented by a man named Mohammed Ibn Musa Abu Djefar. The subject of this textbook he wrote was "Al Gebr We'l Mukabala" which in today's society is known as "Algebra" (History of Computers).
So what does all of this have to do with computers? Well without numbers computers wouldn't exist or have any reason to exist. The whole point of a computer is to perform mathematical computations. Computers weren't the first...